Join us for summer volunteer opportunities
June 26, 2014
Riverkeeper Team
Photo: Jeremy Cherson
Our summer volunteer and outreach season got off to a great start last weekend at the Clearwater Festival. Riverkeeper volunteers and staff were there signing up new members, promoting volunteer opportunities and educating the public about all of our campaigns, including our pressing crude oil campaign. You can help us in our efforts by getting involved in three big ways described below!
As an environmentalist and banjo player, it was an honor representing Riverkeeper at a festival launched by the late Pete Seeger to further the cleanup of the Hudson River. I am the new Riverkeeper Fellow, serving for 6 months with Riverkeeper's volunteer and outreach program, and a masters candidate at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy. I look forward meeting many new and returning volunteers this summer!
Get involved: Riverkeeper Ambassadors, Citizen Scientists, and Service Opportunities
Riverkeeper Ambassadors
Riverkeeper will be at festivals and farmer’s markets up and down the river sounding the alarm with your help. We rely on volunteers to help us reach more communities than ever before. If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador, Riverkeeper will pair you with a seasoned veteran to help you get up to speed. Sign up to help us at events like the City of Water Festival in NYC Saturday, July, 12th or the Rhinebeck Farmers Market Sunday, July 20th. Please check all of our outreach and education volunteer opportunities. Schedule and sign up here.
Citizen Scientists Wanted
Citizen scientists form the backbone of our water quality program. We need your help sampling tributaries of the Hudson for enterococcus, an indicator of sewage contamination. Your samples help us monitor the health of local waterways, inform the public of health threats and advocate for critical wastewater infrastructure. Riverkeeper will train you to become a key part of caring for our rivers. Currently we need additional partners at Catskill Creek, the Wallkill River and Esopus Creek. Sign up to test your local tributary here.
Service Opportunities: Get Dirty, Clean the River
The Riverkeeper Sweep last month demonstrated the tremendous effect individuals can have on keeping our river clean. Join us for the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Randall’s Island Saturday, Sept. 20th from 10am-1:00pm with the Randall’s Island Park Alliance. You will help us with litter cleanup, invasive species removal, mulching sensitive habitat and fencing areas to protect from future fouling. Sign up here for Randall’s Island. Or, join us in West Harlem with Trees New York for tree bed stewardship and a water quality education program Saturday, July 26th from 10am- 12pm. Volunteers will assist with stewardship projects mainly consisting of removing litter and weeds, cultivating compacted soil, and mulching existing beds. Sign up here for West Harlem Tree Bed Stewardship.
Volunteers like you make a difference
At the Riverkeeper table at Clearwater, our volunteer Russ and I were busy raising
Photo: Jeremy Cherson
awareness about the threat of crude oil transport down the Hudson. Over the two days I spoke with many people who were unaware of the dangers rolling through their communities.
People were shocked that a spill could reverse 40 years of progress of cleaning up the river. As a result of this threat Riverkeeper has an ongoing petition asking the Department of Environmental Conservation to conduct a full environmental review on the risks. Due to our efforts at Clearwater, we collected over 100 petition signatures, which bolsters the thousands of signatures we've collected online and at spring outreach events. And this is just the beginning. With your help, we can spread the word about this new threat in your community this summer!
Thank you for all you do, we could not accomplish this great work without you!
Jeremy ChersonRiverkeeper Fellow
Related campaigns
Water quality monitoring
Riverkeeper is the go-to source for information about the quality of the water along the Hudson River and its tributaries
Protecting and restoring habitats
The Hudson River watershed is home to a breathtaking diversity of life. Protecting and restoring our aquatic habitats is critical for their renewal and for a healthy future for all life in the watershed
Riverkeeper Sweep campaign
Cleaning up shorelines along the Hudson River and its tributaries